The condition of the US spring wheat crop moved modestly higher this past week after a 5-point decline the previous week.
The national crop was rated 72% good to excellent as of Sunday in Monday’s USDA crop progress report, up a single point from the previous week and 24 points above last year’s rating at this time. Going into the report, most traders and analysts were expecting a 1-point decline to 70% good to excellent.
The Minnesota crop was rated 86% good to excellent, up 5 points on the week, while the North Dakota crop improved 6 points to 78%. The condition of the South Dakota crop was up 3 points to 81% good to excellent. On the other hand, the condition of the Montana crop fell a hefty 9 points on the week to 57% good to excellent.
The spring wheat crop was 38% headed as of Sunday, up 20 points from a week earlier. That is behind 45% last year but ahead of the five-year average of 37%.